Fifty New Missionaries and Back Out to Teach!

Momos is cool! This is Elder Lares and Elder Snow walking up the main drag in Momostenango.
Not much of a main drag if you ask me, but it is cool.

Well family, this week has been crazy. Let's just start off and say, "Wow!" We were going to receive 24 new missionaries, then we received an email 5 days before the changes that said we are going to receive 50. We have had 8 new houses that we have had to set up and that takes a lot of work. We have to take beds to like 30 places because they are going to be in trios (threesomes). So, we have been all over these last couple of days and will be for the next few.

 

Elder Lares trying to get away from the kids.
 

I am leaving this Tuesday for my new area. It is going to be here in Xela for leg purposes. I think I'm going to go to a place that already has missionaries, but we're going to have 2 companionships in the same area because President told me the ZLs (zone leaders) are looking for a house for me. I'm excited to get back out and work and teach again. I am a bit nervous because I'll be pretty rusty with all this English and lack of teaching. This week has been pretty boring as far as stuff I can put in my email, but we've been extremely busy and I am headed out into the field again soon.

The quote that I chose this week is very true about missionaries in the mission field. "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character give him power." -Abraham Lincoln.  This quote applies many times in the mission field. For instance, a comp will have the opportunity to be in charge of the phone and they will abuse that power. There are many examples I could list off, but the point is to ask yourself if you were given the power or the opportunity to cover up just a small lie or if you knew that you owed someone money and you know they forgot would you pay them? Would you let the natural man conquer the follower of Christ or build character by acting like the Savior in situations that test your character. 

The mission is so about testing your character and your will, and you learn who you are fast. If you want to know why people do not baptize in this mission I think it is because we don't always have the Spirit because we are not obedient. We were talking yesterday and I asked how many missionaries in this mission are exactly obedient. We could only think of 2 - Elder Hansen the current AP (assistant to the president), and Elder Kinghorn the last AP. Obedience is key. Do we have one hour of comp study where we plan there lessons for the day and study for our investigators, and do we have personal study that helps us be an effective tool in the Lord's hands? Well I can go off all day, but I won't. Please follow the commandments with exactness and you will have the Spirit to bless you and guide you.

 

Picture of Momos with a tuptup (little red car thing).
Everybody uses these in the far out places.

Well, love you guys so much and next week I will have a email about my new area and my new comp. Thanks for all the support and letters they mean a lot.

Pray always!

Elder Reinhold